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However, Whitney Port - one of the stars of the MTV reality TV series
The Hills -
is one step ahead of them and has appealed to her fans to donate money to fund her forthcoming
Whitney Eve
catwalk show.

In a video appeal, entitled 'Road to the Runway' Port says: "I'm doing something that's never been done before: the first-ever fan-supported fashion show at fashion week in New York. That means I'm asking you, the friends and fans who've made everything I do possible, to join the crowd-funding campaign."

The "crowd-funding campaign" hopes to raise $50,000 (£32,000) to pay for the venue, make-up artists, models, production and publicity costs in order to stage her show at Manhattan's Lincoln Center.

Port, who is thought to be worth $3.5 million in her own right, hails from a wealthy Californian family and launched her mid-price label in 2008. Her designs have been sported by the likes of Nicky and Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian and Heidi Klum.

But a donation from a generous fan doesn't even necessarily equal a presence at Port's show: donors will be picked at random and rewarded with makeovers, bracelets or, if they're very lucky indeed - a front row seat.

Usually, small labels in need of a cash injection will look to corporate sponsorship deals or mass-market collaborations to raise funds, and as Whitney Eve is reportedly financially backed by Port's father, the appeal is all the more unusual. As fashion shows are industry-only events, attendees are never expected to pay for tickets.